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TKR Please: Some advice for one week out..

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Just saw the surgeon today..I got to 90 at physio beforehand..
He said that since I was at least 8 months with no rom before the operation, my muscles have got to be stretched - the knee will bend, the muscles will not without the physio exercises..
Will assess in another month..He thinks that I will just take longer as my rom was not good before the operation for such a period of time..
Does anybody have any exercises that will work on this particular problem? I do the recumbent bike until I can't go any farther and then push three more times..to try to stretch the muscles..Leenie60, will try your suggestions..
 
Thank you for that article Josephine.. Puts it in perspective..
 
You don't need more exercises, you just need to stick with what you are already doing.
leslie01 said:
I do the recumbent bike until I can't go any farther and then push three more times
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How long does it take you to get to that point? If it takes you five minutes, then just do five minutes. Like I said before, you can expect to have low ROM at this stage. You've plenty of time to get it up to a more respectable number so long as you don't push it too much. You have to find that fine line between doing a little extra and not causing any extra swelling and pain, because that will stop you getting improvements. Gently, gently, gently.
 
Hi lesle01,
Congratulations on reaching 90 ROM to me you are recovering well. What you are doing is working!

I am nearly getting 90 ROM and I am almost 5 months a post TKR. Remember to follow the BoneSmart mantra and do the exercises your doing you should improve over time. Your PT will most probably adjust the exercises as you improve, as my PT did. I wished I had found this site earlier in my recovery. But I'm here now and I'm improving.
Have a great day!

Suzie
 
Gently stretch those muscles my dear.. Even athletes gently stretch healthy muscles before use!! In your case, gently is the word.

Apply some heat with a heating pad on the back of the thighs and behind the knee for about ten minutes before you gently stretch or bend.

If you can find someone who does massage, have a good massage of the leg to help relax those muscles down.

Since your muscles had been so contracted for so long before the surgery, they will take gentle coaxing to stretch back down dear one.

Don't overwork them with exercise..they will just contract more!! Slow, gentle, and steady stretching, heat to loosen them down a bit beforehand is the way to go.

It may take time, but remember it took years for them to get to the stage they are now, and it will take a bit of time to reverse the process. Don't get discouraged my dear. It may take time, but done properly, it will get better!!
 
Thank you everybody..Yes Suzie..I am so thankful for this site as well..Has helped me very, very much..Josephine is a wealth of info..and she has been bang on right from the start..
Good advice Toni..
I do think it is a fine line between pushing this knee too far when I exercise - I have to watch out for that..
 
Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. I was healing pretty good and my PT pushed me too hard on Wed and today I was so swollen I could barely get around. I had a lot of concerns (except for the MUA) and my PT kept saying I was not advancing. Him and I are going to have a little talk tomorrow. He comes for 1 hour 3 days a week. I believe in the Bonesmart way!!!
 
My talk with my PT went fine and I only did what was comfortable. He has his own opinions but said he respects what I want to do.
 
Good! In the end, it is your body..have to do what is right for you..

Question: I run a horseback riding business and we will be starting up within a couple of weeks. I had my rtkr on January 23rd..How much is too much time on my feet..I don't want to overdue and thus cause swelling..I am working hard on my rom, with exercises to stretch my muscles that had not been stretched prior to the operation..
 
Leslie, Congrats on your new knee! I totally agree with the suggestion of some heat before PT. My PT guy did that for about 10 min. before I started exercising and I think it helped greatly.
As for the horse riding business, you might find that you will not have enough stamina to do that for too long at the beginning. I work on my feet and went back at 12 weeks and was TIRED at the end of the days in the beginning. You might want to build up to a full day gradually, maybe over 2 months or so. Certainly try not to be on your feet for long stretches in the first month. Healing is still going on for many months post-op!
 
Thanks Jancat! Appreciate the advice. I will try the heat before the exercises and see if that helps lengthen them..I do the exercises and it seems they just go right back to being tight..When will they "learn" their new job?
 
Ohhh...I would like to know the answer to that too. It seems like my knee understands straighten or that I'm trying to bend it. However, it just can't go back and forth between the two as a natural movement. Vickie
 
Question and advice about sleep at 8 weeks out...I am not getting a ROM of about 97..working my way to 100..slow but sure..was told it would be slower for me as I had no ROM before the surgery for about 8 months..so stretching those muscles! Sleep has been the hardest thing for me..I take a hydromorphone 2mg with a gravol when I go to bed..sleep for about an hour and end up having to take another one and then sleep for about two hour intervals. I don't take another one usually, but sleep is fitful. Night before last I took two as soon as I went to bed and I was wired for the entire night..didn't feel like I slept at all, but must of..I took a tramadol 37.5/325 mg last night with a gravol and slept for 2 hours..just took another one. I wake up in the middle of the night and I am sitting straight up sleeping..Just cannot sleep!! Any advice?
Thank you so much...
 
Hi Leslie01,

I am not familiar with the meds you are taking, but I do understand what it is like to wake up often during the night and go without sleep! I am a little over 8 weeks out. I have had trouble sleeping since I was in the hospital. I have gotten a lot of reading done since my surgery!

It always helps me to know that there are many other "knee people" out there who are also laying awake. Just wanted you to know my light is on too!

Laurie
 
I'm afraid having trouble with sleeping goes with this. I didn't use anything for sleeping because from what I was hearing it wasn't helping anyway so I stayed away from them. How is the pain? If you still have pain you will not sleep well. Make sure your pain if controled and that mean taking the pills around the clock as the instructions say. Also are you eating right. then reason I asked that is I found when I was hungry I didn't sleep well. Now are you getting to tired to sleep. When you have this done any time you need a nap take it. I found sleeping in a reclliner worked but do make sure your leg is elevated above the heart. Also a warm shower just before bed time worked. I also found nice calm music playing all the time helped keeping me relaxed and therefore sleep better. Make sure you don't exericise just before you go to bed. Having a cup of herbal tea also helped. Look out for the caffine in the tea. If all else failed turn on the tv and watch tv. I found it so boring it would put me asleep for about 2 hours. What I am trying to say is this too will pass in time. Please don't let it upset you it just makes it worse. Relax, take care. Welcome to the site and do keep us informed how you are doing. this is a good place to come to when you can't sleep. Post also play games in the Social Room. Ask question, someone is always here. tashia
 
Hi, great advice from Tashia. Lots of us have had problem sleeping. You may find when you start being more active and cutting back on meds, as you are healing, sleep will come back...:sleep:

Good luck, Fernie
 
Just another post to let you know you are not alone....I'm almost 8 weeks out, and I haven't slept an entire night since the surgery. I feel like I sleep, just not in a nice, long stretch. I wake every couple of hours, reposition my leg, and usually go back to sleep. Since I don't lay awake for hours, I guess I can't complain. I try to stay in bed as long as my knees and back will allow.

I do find that when I don't need a nap in the daytime (which doesn't happen too often yet!), I do sleep better at night. I slept straight for 4 hours once, and felt refreshed! I do think it will get better as we go......here comes that word again.....PATIENCE is what we need! :beg:

Take care!
 
Getting a full nights rest has been a challenge for me as we'll; and for many others from the comments here. Finally had a full nights rest earlier this week it has helped me to take a pain pill about a 1/2 hour prior to bed time. Early in this process, that made no difference. There have been some long nights for me and my wife.

Best of luck, it will resolve at some point.
 
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